Title: Integrated marketing communication Level: C-essay at Linnaeus University for a bachelor's degree in business administration Authors: Berfin Gulec & Oscar Hjorth Language: Swedish Number of pages: 82 Supervisor: Michaela Sandell Examiner: Eric Rosell Date: SP Research question: How is integrated marketing communication (IMC) used in the companies studied? Aim: The aim of our research is to see how companies use integrated marketing communication today to then create an understanding of the IMC model. Theories: The theory consists of the IMC model which has nine different parts. The nine parts are described individually in the theory where their functions are described. Method: In the method, the writers take a stand regarding the study's approach and use a qualitative method. Results and Conclusion: The conclusion is that IMC is not suitable for all companies as certain factors are more important than others depending on whether the company's design is B2B or B2C. Degree project contribution: The contribution of this study is an increased understanding of IMC, this in combination with a new view of IMC as a complex subject where all factors do not have the same value for all companies. Suggestions for further research: Based on the results of the study, further suggestions for research are to determine the central parts of IMC and to describe the factors more accurately and to differentiate what is important depending on the type of company. This is because the writers believe that IMC must be studied more based on various factors, one to study an overall picture that does not suit all companies. Keywords: Integrated marketing communication, strategic positioning, promotion mix, market mix, IMC social media & social media marketing.

Background: In marketing today, influencer marketing has become a very efficient tool for companies within the beauty and fashion industry. With the utilization of social media and social media influencers, it become easy for brands to promote products and reach large audiences. Today's teenagers and young adults are part of a very digital-oriented generation and are fond of social networks. Therefore, they are the primary target of companies using this strategy. Aim: The aim of the study is to research how companies within the beauty and fashion industry use influencers and social media to influence consumers and especially the adolescent and young adults. But also, to determine what are the impacts of this influence on the behavior and especially the purchasing behavior of the consumers. Research questions: RQ1: How do the influencers within the fashion and beauty industriesinfluence using social media? RQ2: How the influencer marketing strategy impacts teenagers and young adults' behavior and purchasing behavior? Method: A qualitative research including three interviews of influencer in the fashion and beauty industry, two interviews of brand within the fashion and beauty industry and seven interviews of followers following the influencers previously mentioned. The study used three perspectives, as all the parts are linked together and in order to have more reliable findings thanks to the triangulation of data. Findings: Brands, thanks to social networks and influencers, have a real power of influence on young generations of consumers. Consumers identify and create links with influencers, which drives them to follow influencers recommendations. This relationship impacts young consumers on different level. Indeed, followers tend to purchase what the persons they idealize use or wear, being the influencers in this case. Thus, even if partnerships are a strategy used a lot by brands, it is not the only one. Today, brands are aware of the behavior of consumers, and they know that their sales will improve if an influencer post any type of content with their products and especially if they are not paid to do it. In fact, followers have more trust toward what is said by an influencer when there is no paid collaboration involved. That’s why on top of partnership, where the influencer perceives a remuneration, brands also send them gifted products in the hope that the influencer will use them.

Social media content strategies have been created and used for years as a way to advertise and influence market decisions in various industries. The reason for their effectiveness should be adequately studied so that we can have a better understanding of which strategies are successful and which ones are not. This study identifies effective social media content strategies, with a focus on brand and customer-centric strategies. After a content analysis of 251 Instagram posts from Huda Beauty and Glossier’s accounts, the hypotheses stating that brand-centric strategies will be more effective and all the strategies will be a useful way to determine the outcome of future Instagram posts are partially supported. This research contributes to best practices in social media marketing in order to understand the effectiveness behind content strategies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how sustainability can be used in social media marketing to create trust and commitment in B2B relationships with all stakeholders.  Method: Multiple case study with an abductive approach, data collection through nine semi-structured interviews and several sources of secondary data. Conclusion: Sustainability in SMM is used to create a better brand image and contributes to finding new business partners while also improving existing relationships with various stakeholders. However, in a B2B context, the offline activities of physical meetings are still of high importance for creating trust and commitment.

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In today’s digital era, the rapid rise of social media (SM) has transformed consumer behaviourespecially among university students. This study examines the influence of social mediamarketing (SMM) on the purchase intentions of university students within the fashion industry,focusing on a sample from Zambia. Addressing a gap in existing research on this demographic,the study explores how various dimensions of the SMM affect purchasing decisions.The study utilised the exploratory study approach, data were gathered through a semi-structuredquestionnaire distributed among university students in Zambia. Descriptive statistics and Pearsoncorrelation analysis were used to evaluate the relationships between the independent anddependent variables. A total of 96 valid responses were received and included in the finalanalysis. The findings revealed insights into these relationships, the correlation between entertainment,interaction and awareness was found to be weak (r=0.418) indicating that these factors do notgreatly influence student’s decision to purchase fashion products. In contrast, fashion trendinessand interest in a brand shows a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.422, p = 0.000), meaningthat when SM highlights current fashion trends, students are more likely to be interested.Similarly, the customisation of SM experiences with the desire for fashion products was found tobe moderately positive (r = 0.510, p = 0.000) suggesting that tailoring content to individualpreferences encourages purchases. The strongest relationship observed between e-word of mouthand purchase action (r = 0.726, p = 0.000) signifying that positive online recommendationsgreatly . influence students to buy fashion products. The study recommends that brands invest in monitoring SM trends, collecting extensive data oncustomer preferences and maintaining a positive e-word of mouth. Future research could exploreadditional variables influencing fashion product purchase decisions and consider larger samplesize for broader generalisation. This research contributes to the understanding of SMM influenceon consumer behaviour and offering insights for marketing strategies in the fashion industry.

Yes / The use of the internet and social media have changed consumer behavior and the ways in which companies conduct their business. Social and digital marketing offers significant opportunities to organizations through lower costs, improved brand awareness and increased sales. However, significant challenges exist from negative electronic word-of-mouth as well as intrusive and irritating online brand presence. This article brings together the collective insight from several leading experts on issues relating to digital and social media marketing. The experts’ perspectives offer a detailed narrative on key aspects of this important topic as well as perspectives on more specific issues including artificial intelligence, augmented reality marketing, digital content management, mobile marketing and advertising, B2B marketing, electronic word of mouth and ethical issues therein. This research offers a significant and timely contribution to both researchers and practitioners in the form of challenges and opportunities where we highlight the limitations within the current research, outline the research gaps and develop the questions and propositions that can help advance knowledge within the domain of digital and social marketing.

Yes / This special issue of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services aims to bring together a variety of disciplines and a scholarly community for the advancement of knowledge regarding practice and research related to digital and social media marketing. Accordingly, the special issue includes papers using a variety of theories, research methods, contexts, and conceptualizations to enrich our understanding of digital and social media marketing from consumer and practitioner perspectives. The thirteen articles accepted for inclusion in this special issue are summarised in this editorial introduction.

This paper explores the marketing strategies used within Stockholm's performing arts sector, with a focus on attracting and retaining audiences aged 16-29 through the utilization of social media marketing. The study employs a mixed-method approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative analyses. The quantitative aspect involves a survey conducted among youths aged 16-29, aimed at understanding their interests, preferences, and behaviors regarding performing arts consumption and social media engagement. Meanwhile, the qualitative component consists of interviews with key stakeholders from the largest performing arts venues in Stockholm, providing insights into current marketing practices, challenges, and potential strategies for audience engagement. The findings contribute with development strategies in the performing arts sector, particularly in the context of the growing digital environment and adapting to changing consumer preferences. The findings indicate that the barriers derived from other literature match what is experienced by the participants surveyed, and the perceived impact does match what the interviews tell us. By combining key themes and findings of the paper, advice is given to offer recommendations for performing arts organizations in Stockholm to enhance their marketing efforts and create a stronger connection with the younger demographic.

Climate change and climate protection are issues that society must urgently address. It istherefore even more important to promote and advocate for a sustainable lifestyle. In thisscientific paper, I aim to explore approaches to make social media advertising moreeffective in reaching the sustainable values of Gen Z. Since Generation Z is particularlyopen to sustainable lifestyles, this work will reflect their perspective.To answer the research question, a qualitative methodology was employed, involvinginterviews with 13 participants born between 1995 and 2010. The analysis of the collectedempirical data shows that Gen Z places great value on sustainability, but the issue lies inthe reachability of advertising.Social media marketing strategies such as Paid Media and Content Marketing seem tohave a positive effect on the participants. A balance between content with informationand entertainment also shows potential for success, considering their short attention span.Furthermore, the analysis highlights the importance of incorporating both strong (creativeand adventurous) and weak characteristics (impatient, FOMO1, and short attention span)as well as the values they share (equality, diversity, LGBTQ+2, tolerance, andacceptance).These empirical findings should provide options and serve as inspiration for companiesthat already act sustainably and want to promote and advertise a sustainable lifestyle moreeffectively in relation to Gen Z to raise sustainable awareness.